Overview
- CAQM escalated from Stage III to Stage IV across the NCR after Delhi’s AQI surged past 400 on Saturday evening, reaching 434–444 by Sunday morning, according to CPCB data.
- Low-visibility procedures were activated at IGI Airport as dense fog reduced visibility to near zero in parts of the city, and airlines warned of possible delays.
- Stage IV measures halt all construction and demolition, restrict truck entry to cleaner categories, expand hybrid schooling, and, as reported, require Delhi offices to operate with 50% staff working from home.
- Stage III curbs already in force include bans on BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel four-wheelers in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, along with shutdowns of stone crushers and mining.
- Implementation agencies, including NCR pollution control boards and the DPCC, were ordered to ensure strict compliance, with health advisories urging residents—especially vulnerable groups—to limit outdoor exposure; forecasts indicate only marginal improvement to the very poor range early next week.